=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
B AT T L E R E A L M S : S E R P E N T C L A N
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Battle Realms: Serpent Clan Strategy Guide
Version 2
Author: "ACamelo"
Email me at: acamelo217@hotmail.com
Date created: February 28, 2002
Date of Last Update: April 20, 2002 (Version 2)
Best Viewed as a Microsoft Word Document
Approx. Pages: 25 pages
^Don't Plagiarize it's bad^
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Introduction
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Hey! ACamelo here! It's my second time sending an In-Depth guide to
GameFaqs but don't worry I do know how to make one so it won't be much
of a problem. I already got one up... the Wolf Clan guide and here's
another one. Since most e-mails have asked me to make another one up for
the Lotus and Serpent, and I've descided to put a Serpent Guide up.
Battle Realms is a Real Time Strategy Game in an odd land but not that
odd. Like most strategy, you simply harvest resources, build structures
for training military units, build up an army and eliminate the enemies.
Remember RA2 or the other series where you're free to build dozens and
dozens of units for your disposal? Well, in Battle Realms your limited
to 20 units, 30 units, 40 units or 50 units. Winning could either be
very hard or very easy depending on the strategy that you'll be using.
Of course, Strategies are very crucial to every gamers some of these can
either even the odds and some can even over power somebody.
This Guide is made only for the purpose of those who wish on using the
Serpent Clan. I'll write down some basic to advance game
tactics/strategies. I'll even try to explain how to make the best use of
a serpent unit. You can contribute tricks, strategies, tactics, tips
etc. or comments, suggestions on something. I've experimented no human
vs. human players which most of you would love to see. So enough of the
introduction and continue on with the guide just be sure that you've
read the E-Mail Policy.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Disclaimer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This Walkthrough/FAQ/Strategy Guide is created for personal use only.
This guide mustn't be used for anything that gains any profit
specifically Magazine, Game Guides, Commercial Web Sites etc. You're not
allowed to rip off part(s) of this Game Guide and put it in your own
Walkthrough/FAQ/Strategy Guide Whatever. Anyone doing this evil stuff is
guilty of plagiarism, an act of stealing and passing off ideas and words
of another as one's own without giving the proper credit to the source.
You can put this Guide on your non-commercial, non-profit web site
provided that you will not change/erase/edit a single character in this
document. Though you must have my permission first before you can have
it up on your site.
============
CONTENTS
============
i. Updates
ii. Email Policy
I. History of the Serpent Clan
II. Shinja, leader of the Serpent Clan
III. Serpent Clan Buildings
- Serpent Peasant Hut
- Tavern
- Sharpshooters Guild
- Alchemist Lab
- Bathhouse
- Metal Shop
- Thieves Guild
- Watch Tower
- Stable
- Town Square
- Well
- Keep
- Necromancer's Throne
IV. Serpent Clan Units
- Serpent Clan's Peasants
- Swordsman
- Musketeer
- Crossbowman
- Fan Geisha
- Necromance
- Bandit
- Raider
- Cannoneer
- Ronin
V. Serpent Clan Zen Masters
- Shinja
- Budo
- Utara
- Vetkin
- Ninjas
VI. Serpent Units Ability
VII. Serpent Units Battle Gear List
VIII. Battle Reference Chart
IX. Battle Strategy Chart
X. Serpent Clan Strategies/Tactics
XI. An Almost Cheating Trick
XII. Serpent Rushing Guide
XIIII. Credits
=-=-=-=-=-=
Updates
-=-=-=-=-=-
(February 28, 2002) version 1.02
--------------------------------
Version 1.02 is what your currently viewing. Expect much work and
changes on the next version.
(April 20, 2002) version 2
--------------------------
Whew! After getting my PC fixed I can finally update this guide.
There's some new titles up in the table of content like the
rushing build order steps, Battle Gear commands and I finally able
to put up the Serpent Tech Tree and much more. Also some new
strategies and a separate topic for the "Almost Cheating Trick"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Email Policy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I've put up an Email Policy section only after experiencing the problems
I got with some of the E-Mails I've been receiving for the past days
after having a guide posted up. So I've decided to put this section up
so please read these parts first before trying to email me.
Do's
----
1. Send me questions that you can't find on my guide. I'll be happier to
help you.
2. Be more specific when asking so I can answer your questions easily.
3. Try checking for the latest version of this guide before sending
questions, contributing, pointing something etc.
4. When E-mailing me is sure to label the topic with Battle Realms so
I'll know what are you asking me about.
5. If I happen to forget you, e-mail me again NICELY and I'll respond to
it ASAP.
6. If I happen to not answer your e-mail it only means that the answer
can be found in my guide.
Don'ts
------
1. Don't send me questions that can be answered/found in my guide.
2. Don't send me e-mails that don't have anything to do with the game.
3. No death treats, Bad Words, Chain letters etc. Please
4. Don't be persistent when mailing.
6. No spamming, please avoid it!
Doing anything that's on the Don'ts list will mean that your email will
less likely to be ignored.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
History of the Serpent Clan
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Tarrant and his sons forged the Serpent Clan out of those who fled south
to escape the ravages of the Horde. Since then, for four generations the
Serpent Clan has dominated through force and cunning, until the death of
Lord Oja and the treachery of the Lotus Clan created a dangerous
struggle for power among the three Clans on the island.
Like their Totem, the Serpent Clan knows the value of stealthy approach
and a sudden, lethal strike. Their soldiers tend to be tricksters and
thieves as well as deadly fighters, skilled in techniques to baffle
mounted pursuit and lure opponents into ambush. The Serpent Clan also
possesses the secret of gunpowder, and has adapted it to many offensive
purposes.
The Serpent rules through strength and fear, knowing that other clans
are waiting to take over should they show weakness. Kenji may restore
the Serpent Clan to dominance, if he chooses to rule through strength
and pragmatic cunning, rather than the conventions of honor. If Kenji
proves to be his father's true son, he can re-forge the stability that
is now in doubt, and the Serpent may rule again. Unfettered by high-
flown morals, all ways are open to them.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
Shinja
=-=-=-=-=-=-
The former captain of Lord Oja's Serpent Guard, once charged with
protecting the Serpent Orb, Shinja is a powerful warrior well-versed in
the ways of the battlefield. Fueled by his lust for war, Shinja never
holds back in battle - anything else would make him weak. While some
would call his military enthusiasm reckless, Shinja's record on the
battlefield is virtually spotless. Honing his skills to be like those of
the Serpent, Shinja's attacks are quick and deadly. Contracting
enchantments from the Lotus wizard of summoning, Laikor, Shinja's twin
swords can summon swarms of snakes to bite at the heels of his foes and
inject deadly poison. The most "Serpent Clan" in ideology of all the
heroes, Shinja has assembled a handful of his former master's provinces
for himself and rules them through fear. Employing a ragged and uncouth
collection of rogues to do his dirty work, Shinja sits in his keep and
lavishes himself in the taxes he sucks from the peasants. While his few
provinces keep him fed, he harkens back to his battle days under Lord
Oja. His only present-day joy is quelling the occasional and pathetic
uprisings of his peasants. After his defeat at the hands of Kenji,
Shinja takes the opportunity to join this powerful new military force,
hoping to feel the adrenalin high of years past and claim a larger piece
of the island for himself.
To begin with, you can access the building tech tree by pressing the "T"
key in the keyboard in the game. According to some the building limit is
set to 50 after building enough building up to the limit your peasants
cannot build any more buildings. I won't post the building tech tree
here because you can access it anyway.
Okay, here's the Serpent Tech Tree on buildings to those who are lazy
enough, like me, to even bother going to the menu and all. It's contains
the abbreviation of the structure's name so just base of the legend
for more details. Sorry if it's a bit unorganized but it'll do fine.
So here it is:
LEGENDS:
Tavern - Tavern
S. Guild - Sharpshooter's Guild
A. Hut - Alchemist Hut
B. House - Bath House
W. Tower - Watch Tower
Stable - Stable
M. Shop - Metal Shop
T. Guild - Thieves Guild
T. Square - Town Square
Well - Well
N.Throne - Necromancer's Throne
Keep - Keep
Serpent Peasant Hut
-------------------
Bolted together from leftover wood and metal scraps, the Serpent Peasant
Hut houses the ill-mannered peasants that do the Clan's chores. These
huts are unkempt, as their occupants are too often slaving away in the
rice fields to pay them any attention. While some complain they are
worked too hard, it beats dying on the battlefield.
This is the Structure that you should build continuously. The more
peasant hut you have the faster the peasants generates but the more
units you have the slower the peasants come out form the hut. Build
these structures near the resources for faster resources accumulation.
Tavern
------
This is where you train peasants to swordsman. Swordsman are the
serpents only 1st-tier melee unit.
This structure allows you to train peasants to Swordsman and can also
upgrade units.
Peasant - Swordsman
Crossbowman - Bandit
Musketeer - Raider
Cannoneer - Ronin
Sharpshooters Guild
-------------------
In these stone buildings, ranged fighters of all kinds drill, study, and
compete for prizes. Musket balls, cannon balls, even thrown torches fly
through the air amid praise, instruction, curses, and shouts to "Hold
fire, you dogs!" Serpent lords hold annual marksmanship competitions
with generous prizes and commissions. Instructors tend to be those few
gunners who survive to old age, marked by deafness, powder burns, and
missing fingers.
This structure allows you to train peasants to Crossbowman and can also
upgrade units.
Peasant - Crossbowman
Swordsman - Bandit
Musketeer - Cannoneer
Raider - Ronin
Alchemist Lab
-------------
No Serpent alchemist ever seems entirely satisfied with their formula
for explosives. Although the basic ingredients -- charcoal, sulfur, and
saltpeter (potassium nitrate) -- remain the same, stability and
explosive yield can always be improved. Therefore, these laboratories
are always slightly ragged from internal explosions, with holes unevenly
patched and boarded-up. Each alchemist jealously guards his personal
arsenal of proportions and recipes, and is always looking for ways to
improve it and diversify its applications.
This structure allows you to train peasants to Musketeer and can also
upgrade units.
Peasant - Musketeer
Swordsman - Raider
Crossbowman - Cannoneer
Bandit - Ronin
Bathhouse
---------
Once the baths were a place for contemplating beauty in its most sublime
forms. In these times, Serpent Clan bathhouses have degenerated to what
was perhaps their original function as brothels. Although an elderly
woman still plucks out music on the koto and tattered calligraphy still
hangs on the walls, the cultured atmosphere has faded -- the atmosphere
is now sleazy and men come here for only one purpose. The geisha who
emerge from this environment are more worldly-wise, and have learned to
defend themselves in this rough environment. Fortunately the geisha
healing skills are still taught, although much knowledge has been lost.
Serpent Clan bathhouses are administrated by the elder geisha, a cynical
and power-hungry council.
This structures allows you to train peasants to Fan Geisha.
Peasant - Fan Geisha
Metal Shop
----------
When the Serpent Clan was formed, the result was a renaissance for the
alchemists and tinkerers who work in the Metal Shop. First, private
tricks and techniques from dozen or so refugee clans could be learned
and tested. Second, there was a general relaxation of the Dragon Clan's
overly rigid code of battlefield conduct. Now, any new gadget or device
was fair game as long as it worked, and the Serpent Lords would pay for
them -- even the Thieves' Guild could be a source of ideas. Night and
day, hammering and explosions and laughter ring from the metal shops as
new modes of mayhem are invented.
Much like the Thieves Guild only the different thing is that the Metal
Shop are more on the offensive side. They give your units new Battle
Gear to be used. I suggest studying the Battle Gears of each unit learn
their usefulness.
Thieves Guild
-------------
Not long after the death of Tarrant the Younger, rumors began
circulating of a shadowy organization holding meetings in secret in
isolated groves and derelict buildings. This was the Thieves' Guild, a
group of enterprising criminals who began to meet in order to share
skills, exchange information, and, above all, take a share from lesser
thieves in return for training. For a long time, the Serpent lords were
unable even to discover whether the guild existed. However, rumor has it
that Lord Shinja finally managed to subvert the Thieves' Guild, allowing
them to operate in exchange for a tenth of their take and use of their
training facilities for his men.
The Thieves Guild offers your units unique Battle Gears that could
either be useful when defending or on the offensive side. It's a good
idea to have most of your units with a handy Battle Gear which could be
of great help to them and could either boost their power up.
Watch Tower
-----------
No soldiering duty is less prized than spending a night in one of these
rickety wood and bamboo constructions that adorn the borders of Serpent
Clan land. With only lantern and a gong for company, the luckless
occupant must simultaneously stave off sleep, and keep himself from
panicking at the night sounds of the forest or mountain. In the
barracks, stories are told of undetectable ninja attacks, soldiers found
dead still in postures of watchful attention. When dawn comes, the
guards can descend, wiping dew from their weapons, whispering silent
prayers to their totem spirit. Watchtower duty on the Lotus Clan border
is held to be the worst of all.
Watch Towers are very important when defending. Every watchtower has its
unique watch tower charge that helps on defending your town. Serpent's
Watch Tower blinds the enemy much like Kabuki's Flash Powder but it
simply just blinds the enemy.
Stable
------
When the Serpent Clan was formed from the peoples who fled the Horde,
different styles of horsemanship merged -- Heron showmanship, Eagle
stamina, and Dragon techniques of fighting from horseback. Much later,
when Lord Garrin began distinguishing himself with brilliant cavalry
exploits, this began a new emphasis on mounted units, and horse trainers
became a standard part of every keep's complement.
This structure allows you to catch horses for your disposal. Horses
could be mounted by light units (This means that Cannoneers can't mount
one). Peasants can also get pack horses that doubles the amount they
harvest. Building this is again your call.
Town Square
-----------
The Town Square increases the storage capacity of your resources. It is
also very essential to build this up to enable 2 more Towers and allows
you to build the Keep. You should build this when you think your economy
is stable enough. I suggest build a Town Square up as early as possible
to ensure a safe defence from possible attacks.
Well
----
Well is quite effective when the rice source is far from the water
source. Just build a well beside a peasant hut and you'll be able to
save much time from walking back and forth and you'll accumulate water
faster. Sometimes I strategically place wells near watchtower in case of
someone tries to burn it down it's good to have this around though the
high price tag but overall it has its own pros and cons so your call.
Keep
----
This structure allows you to summon Zen Masters with the price of rice,
water and yang. Zen Masters are good addition to your army, they have
good innate ability that when used properly gives a devastating result.
Necromancer's Throne
--------------------
The Necromancer's Throne allows you to summon a deadly Necromancer by
sacrificing 4 Ronins. It's quite a good bargain for some who considers
quality better than quantity.
=====================
Serpent Clan's Unit
=====================
Serpent Clan's Peasants
-----------------------
Serpent Clan peasants are superficially similar to Dragon peasants, but
looking closer one can see the difference in their ragged garments,
dirty faces, and greasy, unkempt hair. Serpent peasants are tireless
workers...for their own advantage. Although not particularly happy with
their lot in life, they know that laziness and disobedience mean a
whipping, whereas diligent work could mean promotion, even a chance to
raid and loot enemy valuables. Given the proper advantages these
peasants to learn, whether through formal training or just brawling at
the local tavern.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Nothing really special for the Serpent's
Peasants except it deals Blunt Damage.
Swordsman
---------
Swordsmen are the lowest footsoldiers in the Serpent Clan ranks. They
are tough street-fighters drawn from the most promising young men of the
peasantry. Each has been issued a simple longsword, with only a few
motley scraps of armor tied on for protection. Unkempt and lacking
soldierly polish, they are nevertheless obedient and effective fighters.
Swordsman are great 1st-tiers unit. If not for their mugging and glass
sword ability it can compete for a great assist unit and for a great
finisher. Though they got an not so good resistance stats that could be
fixed with the proper upgrade for them.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Ever tortured by those Kabuki abuser or some
Zen Master's annoying battle gear? well then the swordsmans the man for
the job. It instantly steals all nearby enemy Battle Gear turning them
back to normal. Ever tried killing enemies with a hit? Then 2 words
Glass Sword! This is way even better than Wolf's Zen Counter Punch. With
this you can get a laugh out of their Zen Masters dying out in a hit
with this swordsmen even their pilfer battle gear can leave those
Kabuki's powerless againts them.
Musketeer
---------
In the wars that threaten to engulf the realm, gunpowder and traditional
archery both come into play. The musketeer carries a long smooth-bore
flintlock whose butt can be used as a club at close quarters. While
archers can outrange them, musketeers have complementary strengths,
relying on high impact and penetration. do enormous damage when they
hit. Musketeers are one of the tools by which the Serpent Clan has
enforced its borders in the southland, and they can frequently be seen
manning watch and striding through the misty hills.
Musketeers are good missile units. They never missed their target and
always get their job done. Though I don't use them that much their
Sniper Scope as well as their Explosive shot Battle Gear are simply the
best. They're good defensive units as well as an offensive.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: So Koril users thought that their Koril is
indestructible againts missile units well thnk again. This guys never
misses their Sniper Scope just powers them up making them even better
than archers and has an average resistance.
Crossbowman
-----------
Serpent Crossbowmen are cunning snipers with keen eyesight and basic
mechanical abilities. Armed with homespun semi-automatic crossbows and
sight-enhancing eyewear, the Crossbowman makes up for the weakness of
his projectiles with his rapid firing rate and increased accuracy.
Confident in his own abilities on the battlefield, the crossbowman's
smug countenance belies his desire to rise to the top of the Serpent
ranks and become a Ronin.
This guys can be trained quite fast and is even made powerful with the
weaken shot though with some test I've noticed that the weaken shot
Battle Gear from this bowmen mixed with the melee skill of a swordsman
then you have a perfect duo.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: 2 words, Weaken Shot. They make their target
enemy loose some armor resistance. Combine Ronins with them and watch
them tear wipe enemies easily much like the dynamic Shack and Kobee duo.
Fan Geisha
----------
Long ago when the Dragon Clan still existed, geisha were healers,
courtesans, and sophisticates who studied all the most refined arts of
that culture. Fan geisha are their cultural descendants, who have
learned to live in a rougher environment less concerned with high
aesthetic matters. While they could not openly arm themselves, they
learned to fight by modifying their traditional accessory, the fan. They
were already skilled in flirting and dancing with these fans, so by
sharpening their curved edges and modifying traditional movements, they
became dangerous fighters at close range.
Girl Power?! I love them, they're even better than geishas and a lot
more powerful. Totally upgrade them and you have a mean unit. They can
not only heal themselves but can support their constituents when
fighting a pretty big threat to their enemies though most don't favor
using them maybe because the of the impressions they got on dragon's
geishas.
Necromancer
-----------
Who said that Necromancers are some weak units? Well the Necromancer
itself will prove them wrong. Not only they have the greatest resistance
in the game almost better than Kenji's only lacking on the Fire
resistance department. If I remember correctly I've tried to make a
single Necromancer with some Fan Geisha (3 to be exact) guard my whole
base and the results are surprising. Believe it or not this little force
was able to beat 2 AI forces one after another(though I know that AIs
are stupid). The Necromancers hardly get killed because of its hight
resistance and accompanying him with some F.Geishas.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Why are Necromancers that powerful? There
are several reasons, First you have to sacrifice 4 Ronins to summon a
Necromancer which must be a good bargain sacrificing 4 Ronins for just a
single unit. Second, Its armor resistance are way excellent only lacking
on the fire part which is not a problem because most Battle Realms
players tends to stick to piercing missile units than a fire one. Third
is that it can summon 3 extra units to heed your needs. Fourth, it can
summon Zombies from dead corpes for another extra unit. Try Blood
Bonding a Ronin to this unit and see how long it takes to get that Ronin
killed.
Bandit
------
I don't really use this units except when I find his force impenetrable.
There's nothing like seeing a large number of Bandits mysteriously
popping in some parts of his base and start to wreak havoc. I don't
really use their other Battle Gear except for the Invisibility BG.
Upgrade them up and see them match up some 4th level units. Though they
aren't that dependable they can sure make a fool out of your enemy and
can tunr the tides on them just by doing a couple of surprise attacks
and then turning to invisible again.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: I love this guys only because of their
Invisibility BG and their piercing attacks. If you don't find their
invisibility gear that useful then just switch to Ronins Blood Bonded on
some Fan Geishas.
Raider
------
Raiders aren't really that powerful but mixing them with your main
attack force can you see them ni their fullest potential. Raiders aren't
good when attacking all by themselves they're just useful when some
pesky watchtowers started to bug you or with them you can easily turn
your enemy base in a blaze or slow down you enemy's rice production.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Raiders aren't really useful only
considering their power against buildings which made them quite
effective. Their main purpose is to light up and start some fire and
cause some chaos on your enemy's base.
Cannoneer
---------
Serpent Clan cannoneers carry a powerful, enormously heavy cannon, a
weapon capable of damaging enemy soldiers and buildings alike. Their
training requires a special kind of courage -- a tolerance for violent
explosions, and the nerve to enter battle with a weapon too heavy to run
with, making it almost impossible for them to retreat effectively if the
conflict turns against them. Although very dependent on other kinds of
units for escort in battle, cannoneers are a proud, eccentric group who
name and decorate their cannons, and spend their time in jargon-laced
discussions of different gunpowder mixes and projectile weights. They
are also among the most feared of the Serpent warriors - fierce fighters
who enter combat expecting to fight to the death.
Equiped with a cannon cannoneers proved to be the counterpart of the
Dragon's Powder Keg/Sumo Cannoneer. Their Battle Gear are both useful on
the defensive part and on the offensive part. They're powerful against
building specially when upgraded.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: I use this guys a lot. Accompany them with
Fan Geishas and you have a mean attacking force. Their attacks passes
from one enemy then to another and when grouped together results are
very devastating.
Ronin
-----
Ronins are serpent's Samurai counterpart. Though only equiped with a
twin blade and no missile/projectile attacks their Battle Gear works out
for what is missing. The Yin Blade is only good when you want to acquire
extra Yin points for upgrading or summoning Zen masters. The Blood Bond
BG gives them even a better chance to last in battles. Overall I think
they can be much better than Samurais.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Ronins much similar to Samurais only the
difference is they have no long-ranged attack but the Ronin's Twin Long
Swords makes up for it specially their Battle Gears. Blood Bond them to
a group of Fan Geishas or on a Necromancer and they can last longer than
any other units giving them a better edge in combat though the Yin Blade
doesn't work like the yang Blade which become stronger when the Yang
Points are higher they still are a great units.
============================
Serpent Clan's Zen Masters
============================
Shinja
-------
Being the Leader of the Serpent Clan He automatically makes himself as a
great warrior/fighter. He attacks like a serpent, poisoning his enemies
and runs fast like a serpent. His Battle Gear is great that it makes
your units last longer than your enemy.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: He is one of the best melee fighter in their
clan. Poisoning his enemies and delivering powerful blows to them.
Shinja works well with some Ronins and Crossbowmen backing him up his
attacks works well on any enemy making him as deadly as the Serpent he
calls himself.
Budo
----
I love this guy he works in two ways first a peasant taskmaster and a
guard for any teleporting/invisible units. He hastens the production
speed of the peasants but hurts them badly. If you make him as an
attacking unit he works best on Structures than on units. Pretty odd
isn't it?!
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: This fat guy is something. He can be either
an economic guy or an attacking guy. He works well in anyways only the
problem is that he's another one of the slowest unit in the game.
Considering that he's fat and all but he's damn powerful. I have him
join my attacking force and he can beat the hell out of structures
himself but nobody takes down building/structures
Utara
-----
An evil Geisha? She has a cool innate ability that can work best on the
offensive side. Her BG is great when you've racked up a lot of Yin
points for causing a great area of effect damage.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Serpent's female Zen Master. She's a lite
Geisha that uses her song to damage nearby enemis (Maybe the song is too
horrible that it can damage enemies too much). Her innate ability works
best when she's being damaged and all other nearby units can finish her
enemies off.
Vetkin
------
I would say that Verkin is another great scouting tool because of his
innate ability that he never losses stamina when running. He can look
for the nearest enemy and can take care of himself by disabling his
enemies from running by his Battle Gear or by running away by himself.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Yet the Fastest unit in the game well maybe
I could say that because of his amazing innate ability that he never
runs out of stamina when running. Try making Shinja and Vetkin race
you'll notice that Shinja won't be left behind not unless that he has
lose all his stamina. He's the coolest unit in the game maybe because of
his cool looks and of course again the running part. At close range he
attacks by piercing damage from his Twin Daggers.
Ninja
-----
Ninja's are better than Monks mainly because of their stealthiness and
cool attacks(the Shurikens!!). They walk as fast as Vetkins and losses
less stamina when their battle gear is on. Probably one of the coolest
Unit in the game.
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^ comments: Ninjas are great scouting units. They losses
little stamina when their BG is on and moving and recovers it fast like
a wolf unit. Though when compared to Monks I would then go for the Monks
mainly becuase they're better melee units.
=======================
Serpent Units Ability
=======================
Maybe you've already noticed that aside from most unit's simple attack
or defending skills/powers, most units possess their own unique and
special ability that makes them even different from the other units.
Notice how Gaihla spreads flowers when the Rice Source starts to run
low? or Koril is almost imposible to be hit by projectile attakcs? These
are their innate ability so let's continue to find out.
Swordsman - Evasion: Projectiles are much less likely to hit the
swordsman when he is running.
Crossbowman - Full Recovery: The Crossbowman can regenerate health up to
100%.
Musketeer - Instant Hit: His normal missile attack never misses.
Raider - Ambush: The Raider gets no line-of-sight reduction in forests.
Bandit - Looting (targetable): The player will get a "pick-up" cursor
over fresh corpses. Clicking on the corpse, the player will gain a
percentage of the cost of that unit.
Cannoneer - Pass-through Damage: The Cannoneer's shots go through
enemies and buildings, damaging all it passes through.
Ronin - Cursed Swords: When the Ronin loses all his hit points, he
thrusts his swords into the ground, leaving them behind for a short
time. The swords cause nearby allies to do more damage, while nearby
enemy damage is reduced.
Fan Geisha - Healing: The Fan Geisha can sacrifice stamina to heal
another unit or herself.
Shinja - Ye of Little Faith: Takes very little magical damage.
Utara - Pleasure and Pain: When Utara takes damage, nearby enemies get
momentarily stunned.
Vetkin - Sprinting: He loses no stamina when he runs.
Zombie - Deterioration: Zombies will slowly deteriorate health until
they die, unless healed.
================================
Serpent Units Battle Gear List
================================
Here's the list of all the Battle Gears that are given to the Serpent
Clan. I'll break it down to where you can acquire it. I won't explain
Much about the battle gear because the explanation with it explains it
All.
Cannoneer - Mines: Hide a bomb that explodes when enemies get near. Unit can
carry 3, and up to 20 per team can be activated.
Raider - Caltrops: The Raider drops sharp spikes behind him as he runs:
limit 10 per unit, 30 per team.
Ronin - Yin Blade: Damage from magical blade drains enemy stamina to create
Yin. Continuously drains stamina.
=================
* Others *
=================
Shinja - Intimidation: Reduce the amount of damage nearby enemies can
inflict: cost stamina
Budo - Slave Driver: Whip crack "encourages" nearby peasants to work faster
at the cost of stamina.
Utara - Song of Sorrow: Nearby enemies are hurt by a magical dirge: cost
stamina.
Vetkin - Bravado: Drains all stamina from nearby enemy: cost stamina.
Ninja - Shadow Skills: Move about invisibly: Broken by attack or attacking.
Necromancer - Spirit Warriors: Expend stamina to summon ancient warrior to
your side: Up to 3 can be active at a time.
========================
Battle Reference Chart
========================
The Battle Reference Chart can be freely viewed/obtained from the
official Battle Realms website. I don't claim any copyright from the
chart because I just copied it from the site. This chart will be very
useful so you can fight the odds better.
References:
Weapon Damage:
Me - Melee Mi - Missile
Armor Rating:
e - excellent ave - average
g - good min - minimum pr - poor
Damage Type: (Armor Vs.)
P - Piercing B - Blunt Ex - Explosion
C - Cutting M - Magic Pw - Pack Wolf F - Fire
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
| NAME | WEAPON DMG | ARMOR VS. |
| | Me Mi | C P B Ex M F |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| Bandit | P P | g |min|min| e |min| e |
| Cannoneer | B B |min |min|pr | e | g | e |
| Crossbowman | p P |min |min| g |min | e | e |
| Fan Geisha | C n/a |min | g |min| g | e | e |
| Musketeer | B Ex | g |ave| g |min |min| e |
| Necromancer | M n/a | e | e | e | e |ave|pr |
| S. Peasant | B n/a |min |min|min|min |min| e |
| Raider | F F | pr |min| e |ave | e | e |
| Ronin | C n/a | e |ave| g |pr |min|min |
| Spirit Warrior| M n/a |min | g |min| e | e | e |
| Swordsman | C n/a | g |min|min| g |min| e |
| Zombie | C n/a |min | g | g |min | e |pr |
| Budo | B n/a |pr | g | e |ave | g |min |
| Shinja | C n/a | g | g | g | pr | e |pr |
| Utara | P n/a |min |pr |min|min | e |ave |
| Vetkin | P n/a | g | e |pr | e |min|pr |
-----------------------------------------------------------
=======================
Battle Strategy Chart
=======================
The Battle Strategy Chart can be freely viewed/obtained from the
official Battle Realms website. I don't claim any copyright from the
chart because I just copied it from the site. This chart will be very
useful so you can fight the odds better. The following are the possible
enemies you could encounter and listed below are the units you can use
to counter them. Some match-up requires the use of Battle Gears and some
tactics to gain the maximum effect.
Dragon Enemy Counter With
--------------------------------------------------------------
Archer - Musketeer, Fan Geisha
Chemist - Swordsman, Cannoneer
Dragon Warrior - Swordsman, Ronin
Geisha - any unit
Kabuki Warrior - Crossbowman,Cannoneer
Dragon Peasant - any unit
Sumo Cannoneer - Swordsman, Bandit
Samurai - Musketeer, Necromancer
Spearman - Cannoneer
Arah (Zen Master) - Musketeer, Ronin
Garrin (Zen Master) - Necromancer, Spirit Warrior
Kazan (Zen Master) - Ronin (Metal Shop BG)
Otomo (Zen Master) - Raider
Tao (Zen Master) - Bandit (Metal Shop BG)
Note: That some of the following Strategies/Tactics listed bellows are
contributed by the readers of the guide if you wish to contribute like
they did just follow the E-Mail Policy. Some of the strategies aren't
set in default mode meaning some are probably made with the setting of
a high population or maybe the game speed is altered to the fastest.
Surprise Attack - The surprise attack works this way. Train as much
Bandits as you wish and give them the Battle Gear that leaves them
invisible like the Ninja's Battle Gear. Take them near the enemy base
and turn their BG on. Take them deep into your enemies' rice field and
turn them off. It'll surprise your enemy and slow his rice production
down. - Ezreal Empire
Crossbow Rush! - Early in the game train an army of 3 to 5 crossbowmen
and if possible with the weaken shot BG. Accompany them with a Fan
Geisha or two and rush them to your enemy. The Crossbowmen's Weaken Shot
can easily take any early game units out this rush tactic can slow down
your enemy or if possible it could force him to loose the game. -
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^
Musketeer Rush! - The strat is much like the X-bow Rush. After training
3 to 5 Musketeers rush them to your enemies right away. Continuously
train Musketeers and keep them coming to your enemy base. -
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^
All-for-one and one-for-all Musketeer Strategy - This is a fairly simple
strategy but could give a very devastating result. Train 10 or so
Musketeers and give them the Sniper Scope Battle Gear. Then, Train 4-8
swordsmen 3/4 have the glass sword Battle Gear and the remaining 1/4
have the mugging BG. This' fairly simple, the activate the Musketeers
Sniper Scope for dealing long range attacks at the back line while the
swordsmen take care of the melee battle. The mugging BG is for those
pesky heroes/kabukis/over-powered battle gears and the glass sword's for
easily dealing with melee units. - Amugaba Empires
Defensive Strategy 101 - Having problems with those pesky enemy units
that has been attacking you from different directions forcing you to
split the 4 watch towers in to groups of two? All you have to do is
train Cannoneers with their mine laying Battle Gear. Lay mines on every
parts of the possible attacking side of the enemy and man it down with
atleast A group of Ronnin Blood Bonded on Fan Geishas and leave at least
4 or so Cannoneers as a defense with that your base will becoma an
impenetrable Fortress. Your enemy should find your Ronins almost
indestructable being blood bonded on fan geishas and the fan geisha
healing them. - (-)ad3$ Empire
Girl Power - If you play Battle Realms just to have fun then you could
try this one out! Train Only Fan Geisha and as much as possible upgrade
their 3 upgrades the health, damage and the stamina use when healing. A
horde of 20 Fan Geisha can be indestructable and if possible give them
the Razor Fan BG that can help them out. As they engage on melee combat
they can wipe any units or heroes up since they're in hordes they'll be
healing each other as soon as they can. Imagine this : 10 Fan Geisha
engaging in melee combat that can heal themselves and the other 10
healing their team mates just be sure to add in a Fan Geisha with a
Dark Pact BG. - Ezreal Empire
The strategies found below are taken from www.battlerealms.ubi.com. I
claim no copyright with the strategies below.
Vetkin's "Bravado" - The Vetkin's Bravado Battle Gear robs stamina from
all nearby units, so it is especially useful for disabling the life-
giving abilities of the Geisha for a short time. It is also useful for
robbing melee units of their running ability. If Vetkin does this and
leads them back to nearby missile units, they'll get extra shots off
before the enemy can close in.
Hit & Run - Develop a force of about 10 Musketeers with Sniper Scope, 3
Cannoneers with Mines, and 3 Raiders with Caltrops, then get a few Ronin
and a few Fan Geisha to use as your primary offensive force. Park your
force away from your enemy's main base. Lay down a minefield leading
from you to the edge of their line of sight. Then take your Caltrop-
Raiders and run them to the base (going through the mine-field, of
course). Hit the first building you see a few times, to get their troops
rallied against you. Immediately switch on the Caltrops and dart to your
main force, through the minefield. Switch on the Musketeer Sniper
Scopes. As the enemy approaches you, they're faced with Caltrops and
Mines. Ff they get through all that, they still need to get past the
Snipers, which should blow them to pieces. Once this force is
dispatched, send in your Raiders to burn everything down.
Necromancer Safe Haven - Put a Necromancer in a watchtower and he'll
raise zombies from the dead corpses around him while still maintaining a
safe distance from enemy units that can directly attack him.
The Power of the Raider - This isn't a killer combo but more of an
informative strategy on how to most effectively use a Raider. The
Raider, at first glance, seems like weak unit. He is fast, even for a
Serpent Clan warrior, and has the ability to burn down buildings. A
Raider's ability to perform hit-and-run tactics is second to none. They
are most efficient when used with the Brushfire Battle Gear or the
Caltrop Battle Gear.
By using the Raider to simply attack one building until its gone and
moving onto the next simply doesn't utilize the unit to its fullest
potential. Move your Raider(s) to a new target as soon as the building
has caught fire. The building will fall on its own and you'll still have
time to light up other buildings as well. Burning buildings will hurt
nearby enemy units and other buildings so hitting multiple structures
can create have devastating results.
A Raider with Brushfire has numerous good uses. You can clear out
forests, thus preventing surprise attacks, and you can also destroy
enemy rice fields. This is particularly effective since it slows down
the peasants' ability to harvest rice. So while your running around the
enemy town burning things, take some time hinder resources as well.
Caltrops are also quite effective, if used properly. They can damage
objects that are behind the Raider as he moves from a location. Used in
conjunction with hit-and-run tactic, this style of attack can put a good
hurt on your enemy. You can light a few buildings on fire, and when you
see the enemy coming to get you, run away and leave caltrops behind. If
the enemy attempts to follow, they will likely be wounded by the
caltrops. This would be a good time to have melee units ready to help
fend off anyone that chases after the Raider. (This can be quite fun
when you set up a minefield of deadly caltrops and lead the enemy into
them).
==========================
An Almost Cheating Trick
==========================
This is a keep out part to those who wishes not to ruin their game with
cheats and only intended to those who wishes to just have a simply have
fun playing the game or to even up with somebody who's using another
cheat.
An almost Cheating Trick - Instant Yin Point Trick - You can easily
earn Yin points just by attacking trees with a Ronin with a Yin Blade
Battle Gear. Just force attack the tree and turn on his Battle Gear and
you'll get easy Yin Points.
An almost Cheating Trick - Instant Yin Point Trick - You can also
earn extra Yin Points by force attacking the water/river/pond/water
source with a Ronin with a Yin Blade Battle Gear. You'll earn extra Yin
Points but not that fast like the other trick.
An almost Cheating Trick - Unlimited Necromancer Trick - You can
duplicate, triplicate or quadruplicate your Necromancer with this trick.
This trick requires a long time due to the things you have to do. First,
build a Necromancer Throne and summon your first Necromancer. Train a
Ronin with the Blood Bond Battle Gear and Blood Bond it to the
Necromancer. Take your Necromancer on a watchtower and load the
Necromancer's Throne with another batch of Ronins. Now, take the Blood
Bonded Ronin to an enemy base and have him get killed. You'll notice
that it won't be easy because he blood bonded to a Necromancer so you
won't just get another Necromancer but you can also inflict a bit damage
to the enemy with your Ronin. Ones the Blood Bonded Ronin dies another
Necromancer will be summoned automatically in the Necromancer's Throne.
Repeat and Rinse.
An almost Cheating Trick - The Invisible Horse - You can bring up an
invisible horse and make a military unit floating in mid-air. All you
have to do is this. Go take 3 or so units far away from the stable.
Make a peasant get a horse as a pack horse. Dismount it and have all
3 units you selected earlier to run to ride the horse before they
could even go near the horse make the same Peasant take the horse back
to the stable. This may require quite a practice to master and may
take much time than the regular taming horse and stuff but it's
useable when there are few horses or the number of your horse is
minimum.
*Unsure but tested* An almost Cheating Trick - ?Duplicating Hero? -
Do the Necromancer trick but instead have a hero take the place of
the Necromancer after going over the usual steps you'll notice the
picture of the hero turn white which is click-able but when you
try clicking on it the same hero won't same out of the keep. You'll
also notice that when the Hero died up on the Watch Tower using
the Necromancer trick the status of the hero in the keep will be
"recovering hero's spirit" pretty weird huh? But nonetheless a good
step for those who discover cheats and stuffs. This maybe the first
step into it.
=======================
Serpent Rushing Guide
=======================
To begin with why do we use Rush Tactic? Well, to simply gain the
upper hand during a battle and to simply weaken the opponent or
completely beat him/her right away. Rushing is a good idea to
diminish/drain resources of your enemy and slow him/her down and
possibly lead to your early victory. Mainly, Serpent Clan is good
at both rushing and long term battle which other clans are good at
only one aspect. Of course there are another clan who is a good
rusher as well and that is the wolf clan. Rushing could set the
tide in your side and may cause your opponent to defend the whole
time in the game.
After Rushing What's next? After rushing it may either affect
the game a lot and maybe a positive effect to you or a negative
one. If the rush fails then here comes the so called "turtling"
which maybe famous for most players uses this tactic and waste
hours and hours defending.
Okay, enough of it so what are possible rushes? Every 1st-tier
units are rush units. Like Lord Eric in the BR Forum said "Every
unit is capable of being a rusher or a rushing unit only the
effectiveness of it differs" meaning let say a chemist can be
a rusher or maybe a swordsman can be a rusher only the
effectiveness rushing with the said units differs.
Here's a basic build order for any possible rush tactics:
* Start of with 2 peasants
* Build 2 Peasants hut (1 near the water source, 1 near the
rice field)
* Waypoint the Peasant Hut to the rice field and toggle off the
other peasant hut that's far away from the rice field.
*Assign only 2 Peasant to gather water and the rest on rice.
*Take 2 peasants and start building any military buildings
(e.i. Tavern, Alcehemist Hut or Sharpshooter's Guild)
There! That's the basic build order. Practicing this basic strat
before going further would be a good idea. After building the
first military structure keep on training and training 1st-tier
units until you have a decent number of it like 4 or 5 then rush
them away. Note that this basic strat (strat or strategy by the
way) can lead you into making your own rushing strategy. I'll
be writing down some of the possible effective rushing methods
and their build order, if possible, as well.
Musketeers Rush a.k.a. Musks Rush
---------------------------------
Very effective against the Dragon Clan but beware when using this against a
Lotus Clan. Leaf Disciples owns Musketeers but with proper micro managing
this would shine out. Same problem when fighting a good Wolf User, Maulers
will take full advantage of Musks but with enough hit and running the Musks
will stand out victorious.
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Water Source
|-> Peasant 1 and 2 will now be the only water gatherer throughout the game
|-> Toggle the Peasant Creation after the 2nd P.Hut is built.
*Take 1 Peasant to build a P.Hut near the Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Take 2 Peasants to build an Alchemist Hut
|-> After Building rally 1 of the P.Hut to it
|-> Keep training Musketeers
*Build another Alchemist Hut
|-> Rally the other P.Hut to it
|-> Keep on training Musks
|-> There must be at least 2 Peasants to keep gathering rice
*Rush a group of 4 to 5 musketeer to your opponent
|-> Now rally both Alchemist to your opponent
*Upgrade all possible upgrade for Musks
|-> Start with the Musks damage
Swordsman Rush a.k.a. Swords Rush
---------------------------------
Swordsman is much faster than Musketeers but their resistance is low.
Pumping out Swordsman is much faster than pumping out Musketeers. They're
good against Lotus Units but the effectiveness isn't as high as Musks or
Crossbowman's Rush. Possibly the most Basic yet an average rated rush.
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Water Source
|-> Peasant 1 and 2 will now be the only water gatherer throughout the game
|-> Toggle the Peasant Creation after the 2nd P.Hut is built.
*Take 1 Peasant to build a P.Hut near the Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Take 2 Peasants to build a Tavern
|-> After Building rally 1 of the P.Hut to it
|-> Keep training Swordsman
*Build another Tavern
|-> Rally the other P.Hut to it
|-> Keep on training Swordsman
|-> There must be at least 2 Peasants to keep gathering rice
*Rush a group of 5-7 Swordsman to your opponent
|-> Now rally both Tavern to your opponent
*Upgrade all possible upgrade for Swords
|-> Start with it's damage and if possible with it's health
Crossbowman Rush a.k.a. X-Bow Rush
-----------------------------------
The X-Bow Rush's effectiveness is as high as the Musks they pump our faster
like the swordsman but not as powerful as the Musks though not that good
resistance but they could pummel any Clans better. Probably a 2nd rushing
try if the Musk rush doesn't work on your first battle. They're weak on
structures but you won't be needing them to deal with it anyway not until
he/she is completely beaten. A good hit and run unit.
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Peasant 1 and 2 builds Peasant Hut near Water Source
|-> Peasant 1 and 2 will now be the only water gatherer throughout the game
|-> Toggle the Peasant Creation after the 2nd P.Hut is built.
*Take 1 Peasant to build a P.Hut near the Rice Source
|-> Rally the P.Hut to the Rice Field
*Take 2 Peasants to build a Sharpshooter's Guild
|-> After Building rally 1 of the P.Hut to it
|-> Keep training X-Bowman
1**OR**1Build another Sharpshooter's Guild
|-> Rally the other P.Hut to it
|-> Keep on training X-Bowman
|-> There must be at least 2 Peasants to keep gathering rice
Evaluation: Fast yet effective with a little risk against early units. Very
effective against a good opponent.
2**OR**2Build a Thieves Guild
|-> Bestow your X-Bowman with Weaken Bolts
|-> Rally the Sharpshooter's Guild to it
Evaluation: Not as Fast as Building two S.Guild but the risk is lesser when
encountering early units. Consider this path if you know your opponent a
lot.
*Rush a group of 3 to 5 X-Bow to your opponent
|-> Now rally either the T.Guild or the S.Guild to your opponent
*Upgrade all possible upgrade for X-Bowman
|-> You need 4 Yin points so don't bother Ugrading any of it save it for
your Cannoneers or other units.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
YET TO COME
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
* Mounted Swords/Musks/X-Bow Rush
* The Swords and Musks Rush
* F.Geisha's safe Swords/Musks/X-Bow Rush
* Contributor's Rush
===========
Credits
===========
o Major Thanks to Liquid for designing the game and to Ubi Soft for
releasing this great game same goes to Crave Entertaiment.
o Thanks to the viewers/readers of this guide. This won't be called a
guide without anyone being guided/helped.
o Major thanks to the Battle Realms Official Website where I found most
of what you could see like the units ability, battle reference guide
etc...
o Major Gratitude to those guys in the Battle Realms Forum they've
helped me a lot!! Thanks...
o Thanks to my friends who contributed in the strategy section they're
^Evil^Tyrant^Gyl^, ^Ezreal Empire^, (-)ad3$ Empire, Amugaba Empire
Thanks guys.
o Thanks to "ATadeo" I got this whole Layout thingy from his guides.
o And last but not the least, thanks to GameFaqs for hosting over a
million game guides and for being the best site in the world. "CJayC"
deserves every single credit given to him.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
(c) Copyright February 2002
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
